Product Description

If you've ever been paralyzed by shyness when faced with a room full of strangers, overwhelmed when making a speech, awkward in an interview or too nervous to approach that gorgeous person across the bar, this book can change your life. Whether it's landing the job you really want or sparkling at a party, performance expert Caroline Goyder and her panel of stars are here to help improve your confidence, give you presence and boost your self-esteem.

A-List stars like Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Bill Nighy, Frances McDormand, Helen Mirren, Gael Garcia Bernal and Ewan McGregor share their secrets in exclusive interviews with Caroline Goyder, who explains the methods behind their advice and shares her own tricks of the trade. With their help you can learn above all how to unlock the real you, embracing what makes you different and special. Real star quality is about trusting yourself. With this invaluable guide you will learn how to shine in any situation.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11180 in Books
• Published on: 2009-09-18
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Review
`Goyder writes engagingly and the self depreciating passages from Bill Nighy and David Hare are particularly good'
--Observer

'Where, exactly, was I going to find the confidence to make this speech? The answer lay with Caroline Goyder... A book explaining the methods actoris use to remain poised under intense pressure. Goyder has managed to persuade an impressive range of leading actors, from Sarah Jessica Parker to Kate Winslet, Ewan McGregor, Minnie Driver and MEily Mortumer, to divulge their secrets.' --Red Magazine

'Movie and TV stars could help you get your next job, according to Caroline Goyder, who trains actors and coaches professionals, politicians and broadcasters in the art of interviewing.' --Evening Standard

'Another book I'm taken with is Caroline Goyder's The Star Qualities. It is subtitled "How to sparkle in all aspects of your life" and includes lots of advice from Big Names such as Helen Mirren, Ewan McGregor and Kate Winslet and many others all of whom the author has interviewed. We've had plenty of books about confidence and presence before, but it is good is to present some of the information in authoritative vignettes like this.' --The Stage

'To overcome shyness you need to learn to shine. And who better to advise you than the people who get paid millions to fake it - the Hollywood stars...You would imagine that for the world's top performers, self confidence goes with the territory of that special something known as star quality. Not so, according to voice coach Caroline Goyder, who trains actors at Central School of Speech and Drama in London and teaches politicians and broadcasters to overcome shyness.' --Hello Magazine

'The good news is that confidence isn't something you are born with. It's a skill that requires practice and there are techniques that can soon be acquired to pull you out of that negative mindset....According to Caroline Goyder, author of The Star Qualities, confident people are not always free of doubt. On the contrary, they sometimes may be full of doubts and they know exactly what their flaws are.'What makes the confident person stand out is they embrace the flaws and fear and get on with what they have to do. They realise that no one expects them to be perfect.'
--OK! Magazine

About the Author

Caroline Goyder is an expert in performance at Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She also coaches business people, politicians and broadcasters and even helps Big Issue vendors hone their sales tactics. Her work has featured on the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV and in the newspapers.

Customer Reviews

Wonderously perceptive and actually useful
Finally! A book with practical advice, academic research and celebirty insight. I loved it and will read it many times over again for different reasons to show me how the silly actors really have some skills which I can used too. A new found respect for the acting clan, This book has taken the serious talent from the celerity dross and remided us of the skills they have and how we can use them too - confidence and public speaking advice is excellent.

A sprinkle of stardust goes a long way
I bought this book as a gift for a friend, then ended up reading it myself and buying another copy.

I thought the book would be light on content, but no. The author clearly knows her stuff and enjoys her subject. There is obvious respect for the celebrities she interviews and their experience with 'star quality'.

The book flows with ease, giving insight into presence - what that is, how to achieve it, and how best to use it. Some brilliant interviewees - I especially enjoyed Alan Cumming, Helen Mirren and Frances McDormand. It's a real achievement to have interviewed such a list of celebrities in the first place.

This book sparkles
Confidence is the thing that makes the difference for all of us. I loved this book because it provides practical advice from some of the best actors around, on bringing more of it into your daily life. I've been reading a lot on brain science, and this book reminds me that the brain does not differentiate between something that is imagined, or something that is true. Acting provides a bridge to those powerful parts of ourselves that can help us achieve what we want in our lives.